


let's grow up on our own terms

by love_killed_the_superstar



Category: Code Lyoko
Genre: Aftermath, Drunkenness, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Growing Up, Late Night Conversations, Post-XANA Attack, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 15:52:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17287004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_killed_the_superstar/pseuds/love_killed_the_superstar
Summary: Odd is on a post-XANA high and he's dragging Ulrich along for the ride.





	let's grow up on our own terms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KKMcShouty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KKMcShouty/gifts).



> Long time no Code Lyoko! I participated in Code Secret Santa this year and had a lot of fun with this prompt, even if I ended up submitting it a little late. Oops!

**11:06 PM**

 

Odd doesn't even wait for the rest of them to step out of the scanners before he's rushing to the elevator, pressing the button as many times as he can. Ulrich just barely manages to slip in behind him, but Yumi and Aelita are left stranded with protests of, “Odd, what the hell?!”

He doesn't care. He's grinning from ear to ear, and Ulrich shouldn't be okay with his spontaneous ditching, especially since he's apparently skipped Jeremie's floor altogether and is headed for the factory exit, but he can't bring himself to be mad. They  _ were  _ pretty badass tonight, after all.

“You're sure in a hurry,” he remarks as the elevator soars upwards. Odd flashes a grin at him.

“The night is young, Ulrich! How can we slow down right now?”

“Well, being considerate to our friends would be a start,” Ulrich points out.

“They can catch up!”

“Unlikely. Yumi has a history test tomorrow and Einstein and Aelita want to repair the overbike after what X.A.N.A did to it.”

“Oh, fuck the overbike!” Odd stops, glances at Ulrich apologetically. “Sorry. Too much?”

“A little. What's bugging you?”

“Nothing! I'm just – full of energy tonight! There's so much to do!”

“Uh huh...” Ulrich folds his arms as the elevator doors open. Odd immediately rushes out. “Well, whatever you have planned, I'm going to bed when I get back to Kadic.”

Odd stops mid-step to turn back, mouth hanging open in betrayal. “But Ulrich! My plans account for a plus one! And I already ditched everyone else! You're my only hope!”

Odd reaches into his bag and pulls out an innocent enough looking water bottle, rattling it a little. Ulrich stops.

“...Do I even want to know what that is?” he deadpans. The grin on Odd's face is infectious, as much as Ulrich hates to acknowledge it.

“Oh, just a little contraband,” Odd says, an air of innocence in his words. “Nothing we'll get arrested for, but we can't be going back to Kadic with it.”

“Alcohol? You know what Delmas will do if we're picked up for drinking, Odd?”

“I just said we won't! We're Lyoko Warriors, baby! Now come on, this schnapps is getting cold.”

“I can't believe this,” Ulrich groans, even though he  _ can  _ believe it, because if he were in this situation with anybody, of course it would be Odd. “Fine. We'll ditch the schnapps and go home.”

“If by ditching you mean  _ drinking.  _ I for one am shocked that you think I'm financially secure enough to throw good booze down the drain, Ulrich Dear.”

“Odd, I'm barely scraping by as it is with all the X.A.N.A attacks happening lately, if I get caught drinking... I mean, what if they don't let me graduate?!”

“Then I won't either. And then we'll be here another year, stuck together!”

Odd's grin isn't quite so infectious anymore, and Ulrich rolls his eyes.

“For once let's be realistic.”

Undeterred, as they leave the factory, Odd takes a swig and then offers the bottle to Ulrich.

“I'm done being realistic. I'm into Dadaism now.”

“I don't know, and I don't  _ wanna _ know.”

As an afterthought, he takes the bottle and brings it to his lips. It's sweet and sickly and  _ definitely what Odd would drink, now that he thinks about it. _

“You are a terrible friend,” Ulrich mutters, grimacing as he hands back the bottle. “Peer pressuring me into drinking stuff that doesn't even taste good.”

“Was it really peer pressure?” Odd asks, an impish smile on his face. “Could have just left it all for me, you know.”

“Yeah, but then I'd be babysitting you. At least I get some enjoyment out of it this way.”

Rolling his eyes, Odd grabs his arm and pulls him along, running over the bridge.

 

…

 

**9:55 PM**

 

_ The attack was nothing new, and thankfully if - no, when - they defeated it, all the students of Kadic would remember was their phones being infected with a virus that got them addicted to a rhythm game. Nothing more than a standard X.A.N.A attack, something that would never stick in the mind. _

_ Ulrich liked to tell himself these things when he was running to the scanner room with his heart in his mouth. The panic (Odd would prefer to call it 'the thrill’, but he was a dumbass and didn't know the meaning of anxiety) set his body ablaze as he stepped foot into the scanner, thrumming with urgency. _

_ He felt himself be pulled apart, thrown back together in digital matter, and dropped down in the desert sector. _

_ “About time, Ulrich Dear,” crooned Odd, sweeping up on his overboard and narrowly dodging a laser beam from a megatank. _

_ “Having fun getting whipped without me?” Ulrich shot back. _

_ “Me? Whipped?” Odd seemed more than offended. “These guys just keep on coming! How can you expect me to defeat them on my own?” _

_ “I'm virtualizing the overbike,” Jeremie said, a distant presence in the heat of things as Odd dodged yet another shot from the megatank, which vibrated a little as it geared up for a big blast. _

_ “You've wrangled with worse,” Ulrich remarked, as the overbike formed beside him. “Don't be such a baby.” _

_ “Fine! First to take it out wins!” _

_ “Wins what?” _

_ “Whatever you're feeling like I guess!” _

 

…

 

**11:29 PM**

 

They pick their way through the industrial estate and find themselves in the park, talking about anything and everything as they take turns sipping from the bottle. Mostly about kicking X.A.N.A's virtual ass in their latest brawl.

“I love your overbike. Like, obviously the overboard is better-”

“Obviously-”

“But the overbike is still pretty damn cool! I mean, that stunt you pulled when you jumped off it at the ramp and let the overbike plow through all those megatanks-!”

“Well, yeah, cause they were gonna devirtualise you faster than a laser arrow otherwise-”

“Rude! I had it under control!”

The night sky is pretty clear for an area so light polluted, and Ulrich stares up at the few stars he can see as Odd flops onto a nearby park bench and sighs.

“It was a pretty close call, though.”

“Yeah, guess so.” Ulrich lets out a dry laugh. “I thought we'd be done with X.A.N.A by now, to be honest. How many times have we tried to shut the supercomputer down for good, now?”

“Three? Five? Who knows anymore.” Odd stares up at the sky too. “Even after all this time though, sometimes I still get bursts of giddiness like this. Like, we get one epic win and suddenly I remember we're doing this really cool thing and that I'm basically a superhero – not like that Chat Noir dumbass though, you know, we do the real hero work.”

“Isn't it kinda mean to call a twelve year old a dumbass?”

“Oh come on, he's not that young,” dismisses Odd. “Besides, any superhero that steals my loveable cat-boy gimmick is unforgivable.”

“No one even knows we exist,” Ulrich says flatly.

“Exactly! It's terrible! We're off risking our butts while X.A.N.A just can't get enough of us, and those kids in animal costumes are getting all the glory...”

“I don't like Chat Noir discourse even when you're sober, so no way are you roping me into it now.”

“Aw, fine.”

 

…

 

**10:27 PM**

 

_ “Come on, that was totally my victory.” _

_ “Oh, you wish.” _

_ “Ugh, I'm bored of this. Jeremie, when's Aelita showing up so we can put an end to this?” Odd complained. _

_ “Yumi and Aelita are on their way,” Jeremie promised. “William ended up with the virus, apparently he attacked them and-” _

_ “Is he following them?” _

_ “Nah, no worries. They tied him up and stuffed him in one of the science labs. We can go back for him later.” _

_ “I wish I could've seen that.” _

_ “Maybe Yumi took a photo?” _

_ “Nah, that would be humiliating. She doesn't do that. You, on the other hand…” _

_ “Oh, I definitely would have. You know, for funsies.” _

_ “Stop joking around!” Jeremie snapped. “There are four - no, five! Five megatanks heading your way, guys!” _

_ “We can take them,” Ulrich said resolutely, cracking his knuckles. _

_ “And you, Odd?” _

_ “I was born ready, Einstein.” _

_ “Show off,” Ulrich shot back good-naturedly. Odd reached over to shove him playfully, a perfect mask of their everyday boredom, before hopping back onto the overboard and speeding off towards the approaching army. _

 

…

 

**00:17 AM**

 

“So you said Aelita and Jeremie are working on the overbike?”

“Yup. I mean, after what happened it makes sense. Think Jeremie said something about improving the defences on it, keep it in the game longer.”

“Wish they would do something cool, like giving me heat vision or something.” Odd laughs, but it feels forced. “Ah, you know, I think it's just an excuse so they can get all up close and personal. The factory is always so cold, after all...”

“Well, I'm sure they'll keep it innocent,” Ulrich sighs. “So you can stop speculating now.”

“Killjoy. You don't think they've done it in Jeremie's chair yet?”

Ulrich pulls a face. “Eugh. I got better things to do than think about my friends having sex, thank you.”

“What? Where's the fun in that? You're telling me you aren't curious at all?”

“Nope. It's their business, so knock it off.”

Ulrich's firm shutdown has Odd rolling his eyes, and he shoves his hands into his pockets and starts stomping off ahead, leaving him watching after Odd in equal parts confusion and exasperation. After a few seconds of staring dumbly as Odd's figure moves further and further away, he throws the now empty bottle to one side and starts after him.

“Odd, wait up!”

Karma intervenes, and Odd ends up tripping over a stone and falling flat on his face. Ulrich has to skid to avoid bumping into him altogether. When Odd keeps lying there, Ulrich prods him with his foot.

“Earth to Odd? You still alive?”

“I'm fine,” he spits, wincing as he spies a graze on his palm. “Just tripped.”

“Yeah, I'll say. You ate dirt.”

“Just shut the fuck up.”

Ulrich folds his arms, mood souring at Odd's tantrum.

“Why are you being so short with me?”

“Cause I just fucking tripped, Ulrich, remember?”

He pushes himself to his feet, brushing his clothes down as if the dirt stains from his fall were as easy to brush away as the odd pieces of gravel sticking to his shirt.

“Sure I do, it was slapstick and it just happened. Instead of getting pissy with me, can we just talk like two mature people about why you stormed off cause I didn't want to talk about Jeremie and Aelita's non-existent sex life?”

“How do you know it's non-existent?” Odd mutters. “It's always the nerds who are into kinky shit.”

“God, will you just stop? I don't want to hear this!”

Odd shrugs, beginning to walk away, and Ulrich catches his arm.

“What is this really about? And why are you being so touchy about it all?”

“I don't know! I just wanted to have fun, and be spontaneous, and talk about all the stuff that I can only talk about with  _ you,  _ cause if sometimes I think about if things go wrong and somehow you end up, y'know, in the virtual sea and dead...”

Odd turns to him, and the look in his eyes is so... sad.

“It was a really close call tonight,” he says quietly.

 

…

 

**10:55 PM**

 

_ “And another two down!” Odd yelled victoriously as a laser arrow perfectly penetrated the bullseye on a nearby megatank, creating an explosion that knocked back the overboard with the force. “I'm taking back the lead, Ulrich!” _

_ “Not so fast!” Ulrich swept by, katana out, and sliced through the third megatank's bullseye, skidding back around to Odd with a grin. “Now it's a tie.” _

_ “Two more to go. We need a tiebreaker!” _

_ “Be serious, please!” Jeremie interrupted, voice dripping with exasperation. “You're almost out of laser arrows, Odd!” _

_ “Well, where the hell are Yumi and Aelita?” Odd snapped, soured by Jeremie's attitude. “X.A.N.A just keeps sending more of them!” _

_ The fourth megatank, having crept up behind Ulrich during his gloating, fired at the both of them, sending them crashing back with a groan. _

_ “You both just lost forty life points!” Jeremie fretted. _

_ “Yup, I'll feel that one in my bones tomorrow,” joked Ulrich with a wince. _

_ “Maybe Jim will let us sit out on track tomorrow if we tell him we got slammed by a megatank?” _

_ “Wouldn't count on it, you know what that guy's like.” _

_ “Four more incoming!” _

_ “Einstein! We need Aelita!” snapped Ulrich, revving his engine in frustration. _

_ “She's almost at the factory!” Jeremie promised. _

_ “Come on, Ulrich,” Odd teased. “You aren't scared of these giant bowling balls?” _

_ “Scared isn't the right word,” Ulrich growled. “I'm pissed off.” _

_ With Odd “oooooh!!”-ing in the background, Ulrich began driving in circles around the megatanks approaching, confusing them as they helplessly swivelled, trying to keep track of his movements, as he began spinning faster, he spied something off to the side - a ramp. _

_ He grinned. This was about to get badass. _

 

…

 

**01:04 AM**

 

After reliving the events of the night and having come down from his tantrum, Odd's thoughts once again flit to the relationship dynamics of the group.

“Are you ever going to talk to Yumi about how you feel?”

Ulrich sighs.

“She already knows, Odd. I mean, it's always been obvious, hasn't it?”

Odd shrugs and slurs, “I guess.”

“You're too gone to have a conversation about feelings right now anyway.”

“Shut up. Everyone is off doing things now. You and Yumi, Jeremie and Aelita…”

“Is this why you were talking to me about them having sex?”

“Maybe…”

“Odd, it doesn't matter who's with who. We're all still us.”

“Not for much longer. This time next year you and Yumi will be eloping in Nice and Jeremie and Aelita will be off at university studying to be billionaire computer geeks and where will I be? Back in Florence? Bumming around here repeating the grade?”

“We'll still see each other,” Ulrich begins uncertainly, but Odd cuts him off.

“What'll happen if we can't ever shut down X.A.N.A, huh? Are you always going to be there or is it gonna be too much, interfering with your great new life? Am I even gonna be a  _ part _ of your life anymore?” He scrubs at his eyes and spits, “I don't want to end up just being some guy in the yearbook. You're my best friend, Ulrich.”

“So stop being a dumbass,” Ulrich says sternly. “You're always gonna have some place in my life, Odd. Even if we're in different parts of the world or if we aren't able to defeat X.A.N.A, it's still gonna be you and me. Always.”

Odd wipes at his eyes.

 

…

 

**10:56 PM**

 

_ Letting the overbike plow into the megatanks, that was the easy part. But taking the fall, tumbling over the side of a cavern and landing precisely two inches from the surface of the digital sea? _

_ He wasn't quite as in control as he thought. _

_ He found himself just barely dangling, claws in his back. _

_ “Odd, you just cost Ulrich five life points-” _

_ “Oh, Fuck off! He's alive, isn't he?” _

_ Ulrich yelped in pain as he was heaved upwards, thrown against a ledge that he quickly scrambled onto. Odd was the one who needed his assistance this time, gripping his hand tightly as he climbed up too. _

_ The ground shook with seismic tremours, and the two of them felt themselves beginning to slip. _

_ “EINSTEIN, WHERE IS AELITA?!” _

_ “She'll be virtualized any moment now!” Jeremie promised, just barely keeping a level head in the chaos of it all. “You need to get out of there!” _

_ “So send us my fucking overbike!” snarled Ulrich. _

_ “I can't, it got too damaged against those megatanks!” _

_ “Then send us the overboard! The overwing! Anything!” begged Odd. “Fuck me, Einstein, we're almost touching it!” _

_ “I'm sending the overboard right now!” promised Jeremie, voice rising in panic. “Please hang on! Aelita is on her way to the tower!” _

_ Odd clung onto Ulrich and shut his eyes tightly. _

 

…

 

**01:33 AM**

 

Sometime later, after Odd has finished crying on Ulrich's shoulder and they're only growing colder as the night goes on, the topic of next week's costume party seeps into their disjointed conversation.

“What do you mean your cosplay never arrived?!”

“I mean, it was supposed to show up two weeks ago and it didn't,” Ulrich explains, as simply as he can to an intoxicated Odd. “I mean, the joke's on me for trusting the dodgy cosplay website you recommended, right?”

“But this is a disaster!” Odd rests his head against Ulrich's shoulder, groaning. “How are we supposed to do our group costume idea now?!”

“Hey, we could always do the scooby doo gang.”

“Unacceptable! It's Lyoko Warriors group cosplay or nothing!”

Odd huffs loudly, and Ulrich suddenly remembers something crucial.

“Hey. Hey, Odd.”

“What?”

Ulrich snorts loudly.

“William… is still tied up… somewhere in the science block. As we speak.”

Odd stares at him for a second, before bursting into peals of laughter.

“WHAT?! HE'S STILL THERE?!”

“Unless Einstein's got to him by now!”

“Bwahahahaha!!”

Odd collapses against Ulrich again, heaving with laughter, and Ulrich can't seem to suppress his own bubbling giggles. The idea is just so, so fucking funny. Especially after a bottle of schnapps.

 

…

 

**11:01 PM**

 

_ In a heartbeat, it was all over. _

_ The overboard was taking off, out of the cavern - Aelita was inside the tower, CODE: LYOKO, she wrote, the damage was undoing itself - _

_ Ulrich slipped. _

_ He cried out hurtled downwards, grabbing at the overboard as Odd almost lost balance, sitting down after him, down towards death and clinging onto him with claws fully in. Ulrich, suspended just inches from the void by the claws in his back, stared directly into the depths of the digital sea and felt raw dread, so close to him his nose just barely missed brushing against the surface. Odd lurched up, dragging the board and Ulrich up with him, feeling panic and fear in every bone. _

_ Ulrich, on the other hand, was just grateful to be alive. _

_ “It's about fucking time, Princess,” wheezed Ulrich as the overboard came to a halt, a few feet above where Aelita and Yumi stood. _

_ “Sorry for the hold up. Are you guys okay?” _

_ “Oh, you know,” he said easily as Odd finally released his hold. “Just exhausted from another classic Odd-And-Ulrich adventure.” _

 

…

 

**01:59 AM**

 

It’s too fucking cold and the alcohol has settled in their stomachs. Ulrich sticks out a hand and pulls Odd to his feet.

“Can we go back to the dorms now?” he asks tiredly.

“I guess,” sighs Odd dramatically. “I bet Kiwi is missing me by now.”

“I’m sure he is.”

“He’s such a good boy. My little diggity dog.”

“You said it.”

“...You hate my drunk blabbering, don’t you?”

“Honestly? I don’t think we drank nearly enough to be as pissed as we are, and you have no room to be drunk blabbering to me.”

“What a sour grape.”

They head back to Kadic shivering, the cold having caught up with them now that the schnapps has worn off a little. They definitely won’t be thanking themselves tomorrow when they have to sit through a lecture from Mrs Hertz with slight hangovers and sleep deprivation. Still, it’s the end of another classic Odd-And-Ulrich adventure, and it was naive of Ulrich to believe that they’d get off without some kind of consequence.

“You know I’m pretty much invincible, right?” he asks suddenly, surprising Odd enough to halt him in his tracks.

“What?”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Ulrich glances back at Odd, meeting confused eyes. “I promise. It’ll take a lot more than an everyday X.A.N.A attack to take  _ me _ out.”

With a cautious nod, Odd hurries to catch up with him.

“I know that. But, it’s times like these when I remember it’s real. It’s really happening, you could have really died, and I - I just want you to be more careful.”

“This is so candid and I love it.”

“I’m serious, shithead.”

“And  _ I’m  _ serious, Oddball. I’m a death-defying, indestructible digital superhero,” Ulrich retorts with a grin and a gun show completely obscured by his jacket. “A death-defying, indestructible digital superhero who’s going to be just fine.”

Odd raises his eyebrows.

“Could have fooled me, with all of that  _ emotional  _ vulnerability,” he teases, falling into step beside him.

“I’m a guy in touch with his emotions and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Ulrich says decidedly. “Maybe my old man would have a different opinion on that, but he’s not here so FUCK YOU.”

He spits out the words and Odd joins in.

“Fuck your old man! Being honest with your emotions rocks. Wearing my heart on my sleeve is what makes me such a heartbreaker in the first place.”

Ulrich rolls his eyes.

“Maybe, but if you had a bit more tact maybe you’d be able to hold down a girlfriend finally.”

“Eh, I’m done with girls for the time being,” Odd says with a nonchalant shrug. Ulrich raises his eyebrows.

“Oh, so it’s guys’ hearts you’re breaking now?”

“Ha, I wouldn’t rule it out. But I think I’m actually more into the idea of being with you guys for as long as I can now. And I’m gonna miss all this when it’s over.”

“It won’t be over.”

“That's sweet. But I'm not stupid. Eventually we'll end up drifting apart.”

“Not til we're like… old and senile though, right?”

Odd grins and gives Ulrich another playful shove as they head back under the cloak of darkness to continue this conversation in the dorms.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think?


End file.
